semester

1 of 2

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər 

1

: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided

2

: a period of six months

semestral

sə-ˈme-strəl 

adjective

or semestrial

sə-ˈme-strē-əl 

semestral

2 of 2

adjective

se·​mes·​tral -strəl 

variants or semestrial

-ˌtrēəl 

: occurring every six months or within a period of six months : of or relating to a six-month period

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

She’s gotten used to trying, and trying again; while applying for fiction writing classes in college, Adeyemi says, she was rejected five semesters in a row. — Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026

Hosting a home football game on Halloween should be a celebration during a school’s fall semester, the chance for everyone to dress up and have fun. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2026

The goal is to keep the ghost student in school for as long as possible, semester after semester after semester, stealing money from the taxpayer. — Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Johnston has to handle student turnover every semester while students covering events such as government meetings face a steep learning curve and need support. — Pamela E. Walck, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

Adjective

Latin semestris half-yearly + English -al or -ial

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing semester

• semester hour

Rhymes for semester

• ancestor
• arrester
• digester
• investor
• protester
• requester
• sequester
• silvester
• trimester
• ester
• esther
• fester

Kids Definition

semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər 

: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year